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12.14.2014

Christmas Favorites

I love the holidays. I love them more now that I have kids, but I find myself overwhelmed by all the amazing ideas I can't possibly squeeze into one month of celebrating. So instead of focusing on the hundreds of things I wish I was doing, I am trying this month to really love the things we are doing. I thought I'd share those few things with you all.

Favorite movies:

I adore Christmas movies. The good feelings they evoke and the memories of my own childhood (particularly with Home Alone) make this time of year nostalgic. I could watch The Family Stone everyday. I love the family, and I adore that there is a deaf character and all the other actors learn how to sign in the movie.

For our boys, the whole month of December we spend movie night (which for us is Saturday night) watching Christmas movies. It creates anticipation for the holidays and we all love it.

Favorite traditions:

Some traditions have come and gone in the eleven years Josh and I have been married. But these five have stuck. We always put up our tree the day after Thanksgiving, we always watch a movie in new pajamas on Christmas Eve and we always have my Grandma Beverly's cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. Since the addition of our three boys we have added Elf on the Shelf to our holiday, as well as a daily advent that counts down from December 1st. I love these couple of traditions and that the boys look forward to their arrival.

Favorite Music:

Mariah Carey :: Merry Christmas

*All I Want For Christmas is You

Amy Grant :: Home For Christmas

*Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)

Idina Menzel :: Holiday Wishes

*Baby It's Cold Outside feat. Michael Buble

Dr. Suess' How The Grinch Stole Christmas Soundtrack

* Where Are You Christmas by Faith Hill

Christmas music for me is the essence of the holiday. I start playing it in early November and don't stop until well after the new year. I play it during school with the boys (we have music channels from Dish, and I am loving the Holiday Instrumentals channel for school time); I play it while I'm doing dishes and I play it when we're doing crafts. I think at first the boys were like, "Ugh. Mom. Seriously." Complete with eye rolls. But now they've adjusted, and the other day I even found them singing Jingle Bells in their playroom. Made my singing-mama-heart so proud!

Favorite Books:

My boys like funny books, so Tacky's Christmas and The Night Before The Night Before Christmas are just up their alley. I grew up loving Scratch & Sniff books, so the two from my childhood (A Christmas Celebration & The Sweet Smell of Christmas) are forever favorites. I also love the illustrations by Joan Walsh Anglund on A Christmas Celebration.

Grown Up Christmas Books:

I think it was our second year of marriage when I got the Christmas Treasury of Chicken Soup for The Soul, and every night me and Josh would read one of the inspirational stories aloud. It was one of my favorite holiday seasons. I loved sharing the joy of the season each night before bed.

This year I am looking forward to reading Winter Street by my favorite "summer" book author, Elin Hildebrand.

About Me

I am a thirty four year old wife and stay-at-home mom. My husband is an elementary school teacher. We are high school sweethearts raising four littles. June 6, 2008 I gave birth to spontaneous identical twin boys, Logan & Jack. June 15, 2011 I gave birth to our third son, Wyatt. Our fourth, a daughter, Carly, was born January 24, 2016. I stay busy raising four kids, fixing up our new house, blogging & reading for pleasure. Follow us on this adventure we call life!

QUOTES

"She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness. She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness."

-Proverbs 31:25-27

"Let whatever you do today be enough."

"If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you've made me smile, the entire evening sky would be held in the palm of my hand."